The Steppingstone Foundation was launched in Boston with the creation of The Scholars Program in 1990. Once The Scholars Program had become established in the Boston community, Steppingstone looked for other ways to provide opportunities to a greater number of children. This led to the creation of The Magnet Program in 1998, and the expansion of The Scholars Program to Philadelphia.

BOSTON
The Steppingstone Scholars Program
The Foundation’s first initiative was created to prepare inner-city sixth graders, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, to get into and succeed at Boston’s top independent schools in the seventh grade. Scholars participated in an intensive, 14-month academic program consisting of two six-week summer sessions before and after sixth grade, as well as after-school and Saturday classes during the sixth-grade school year. Once accepted to an independent school, Steppingstone kept in close contact with Scholars, their families, and their new schools to ensure a smooth academic and social transition.

The Steppingstone Magnet Program
In Boston, public exam schools offer excellent educational opportunities to students who score well on the entrance exam and maintain high GPAs in fifth and sixth grade. However, between students applying from private schools and legal challenges to the exam schools’ admissions policies, the student population of the exam schools hardly reflects the student body of the public school system overall. Using The Scholars Program as a model, Steppingstone created The Magnet Program in 1998 to prepare inner-city schoolchildren to enter and succeed at public exam schools in Boston: Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and John D. O'Bryant School.

The Steppingstone Academy
In 2001, Steppingstone merged The Scholars Program in Boston with The Magnet Program to form The Steppingstone Academy. The Academy is designed to identify underserved fourth and fifth graders and prepare them to enter and succeed at the top independent and public exam schools in the Boston area in the sixth or seventh grade, respectively. The structure of the Academy is similar to that of The Scholars Program and The Magnet Program: 14-months of academic classes followed by a range of support services offered throughout middle school, high school, and college. In 2005, we launched Academy Nine, adding seventh graders to the group of Scholars.

HARTFORD
The Steppingstone Academy Hartford
In 2006, The Steppingstone Foundation began a partnership with The Hartford Youth Scholars Foundation (HYSF) to launch The Steppingstone Academy Hartford. The Steppingstone Academy Hartford, prepares students for admission to and success at Connecticut’s top college preparatory high schools. By increasing educational opportunities, The Steppingstone Academy Hartford and HYSF support the development of a vibrant and productive community, making Hartford a better place in which to live, work, and raise a family.

PHILADELPHIA
Steppingstone Scholars, Inc.
In 1998, The Steppingstone Foundation launched Steppingstone Scholars, Inc. in Philadelphia. Modeled after the former Scholars Program in Boston, it is also a rigorous 14-month academic program followed by a range of support services. Scholars begin the program in the fifth-grade in order to prepare for sixth-grade placement. In 1999, Steppingstone accepted its first class of Scholars who began their first year of college in 2006. Partner placement independent schools include The Episcopal Academy, Haverford School, William Penn Charter, and The Philadelphia School.